Saltwater · Warm months; surface schools are most visible on calm summer days
Agujon Needlefish
Tylosurus acus
The big western Atlantic needlefish, a surface hunter with a toothed beak that skitters and leaps after baitfish. This page covers the western Atlantic form (long written Tylosurus acus acus); it is more often a spectacular bycatch and bait than a target.
Seasons · Peak
Identifying features
- Extremely long, slender body with both jaws extended into a toothed beak
- Greenish-blue back, silvery sides, and a dark fleshy keel on each side of the tail base
- Dorsal and anal fins set far back, close to the deeply forked tail
- Much larger than local halfbeaks and ballyhoo — commonly 90 cm, to 153 cm
- Green bones and greenish flesh — a famous quirk of this species group
Habits
- Inhabits oceanic and neritic surface waters, feeding on small fishes
- Oviparous; eggs attach to floating objects by tendrils on the egg surface
- Leaps and skitters at the surface when chasing prey or hooked
- Circumglobal species complex — FishBase notes the former subspecies have been provisionally raised to species rank pending further work
Distribution
Where to find them
- Reef channels and passes where baitfish push to the surface
- Under dock and bridge lights at night
- Offshore current edges and weed lines
Where they live
How to catch them
Surface lure casting Shore
Rig: Medium spinning outfit, surface plug or spoon on a short bite leader
Bait/lure: Spoons, small stickbaits and surface plugs
Key tip: Cast across reef channels and retrieve fast with skips and pauses; agujon slash at surface lures and often hook themselves — keep fingers clear of the beak.
Live-bait fishing under lights Boat
Rig: Light-medium outfit, small live baitfish free-lined at the surface
Bait/lure: Live pilchard or silverside
Key tip: At night under lights, drift a live bait at the edge of the light; needlefish patrol the shadow line and strike sideways — wait a beat before tightening up.
Best baits & lures
Baseline setup
- Rod: Medium 7' spinning rod
- Line: 15-25 lb braid or mono
- Terminal: Short bite leader, small spoons and plugs, pliers for the beaked jaws
Recommended gear for this species
Rod · Best value
9' medium-heavy surf spinning rod
≈ US$110-170
Casts plugs and bait past the breakers and handles stripers, drum and bluefish in the wash.
Reel · Best value
5000 size sealed spinning reel
≈ US$120-180
Salt spray and dunkings kill cheap reels — a sealed body and 30 lb braid capacity are the surf standard.
Terminal · Budget
Topwater plugs, soft-plastic jigs and fish-finder rigs
≈ US$25-40
Plugs for blitzes, jigs for the trough, bait on a fish-finder rig when they won't chase — the inshore trio.
Picks are never paid placements. Prices are guides; price links are coming soon and none is an affiliate link yet.
Typical size
Common about 90 cm; maximum 153 cm and 3.7 kg
On the table
Sold fresh and salted in places, but the market is limited by its green-coloured flesh (FishBase); many anglers release it or use it as cut bait. Handle the toothed beak with care.
Similar species
Regulations vary by area and can change in-season — always check the official rules for your area before you fish. Regulations guide →
Plan a trip for Agujon Needlefish
Build today's plan⚠ Heads-up: Agujon Needlefish doesn't occur around Vancouver, BC (or is very rare there), so it's not a sensible local target. Your plan stays in Vancouver, BC and is built around the fish that actually live there.